


My Two First Loves

by ot7mikrokosm



Series: Fics Based on Choices Stories [15]
Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Alpha Choi Soobin, Alpha Choi Yeonjun, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - America, Alternate Universe - High School, American football player soobin, American football player yeonjun, Bad Boy Choi Yeonjun, Best Friends Huening Kai & Kang Taehyun, First Love, Huening Kai-Centric, Love Triangles, M/M, Omega Choi Beomgyu, Omega Huening Kai, Omega Kang Taehyun, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Student Choi Beomgyu, Student Choi Soobin, Student Choi Yeonjun, Student Huening Kai, Student Kang Taehyun, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, cheerleader huening kai, cheerleader kang taehyun, kai is struggling with his feelings and emotions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:46:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27580889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ot7mikrokosm/pseuds/ot7mikrokosm
Summary: Kai has been in love with Soobin for as long as he can remember. He decides to confess to the alpha the night before their senior year, but instead learns that Soobin is in a relationship. As he tries to cope with his heartbreak and move on from the taken alpha, the school bad boy takes an interest, much to the disdain of Soobin.ORKai spends his final year of high school struggling to understand his feelings for both Soobin and Yeonjun.
Relationships: Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun, Choi Soobin/Huening Kai, Choi Soobin/Kang Taehyun, Choi Yeonjun/Huening Kai, Huening Kai & Kang Taehyun
Series: Fics Based on Choices Stories [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1736854
Comments: 24
Kudos: 162





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> My second ever TXT centric fic! This time Kai-centric! Hope you enjoy this one! <3

Kai lay in his bed, staring at the clock on his nightstand as the numbers ticked closer to midnight. "Tonight," he whispered to himself, hugging his stuffed penguin to his chest, "tonight is the night."

He heard a knock on his bedroom window and jumped out of bed, rushing over to let the alpha in. "You made it!" He said, smiling at Soobin as he climbed through the window, stomach fluttering as it did every time he saw the alpha.

He wasn't sure when he started to feel those butterflies with Soobin. Whether it was when they were ten and the quiet alpha tried to teach him how to cartwheel, or if it was when he held him all night after his mother passed away three years earlier. Or maybe it was sometime between those two moments. Either way, Kai was sure he had been in love with the alpha for a long time. And finally, he had worked up the courage to share his feelings.

"Welcome home." Soobin smiled at Kai, giving him a hug."

"Soobin Choi, punctual as always."

Soobin chuckled. "I haven't seen you all summer. I didn't want to waste another minute."

Kai bit his lip, wondering how he had managed to go a whole three months without talking to Soobin while he was on vacation. He knew he had to do it. "Soobin, I…" He trailed off as the words got stuck in his throats, his nerves coming at him full force. He quickly cleared his throat and tried to come up with something before an awkward silence could settle. "Have you been working out?" He playfully squeezed the alpha's bicep, but soon regretted it as the feeling of his muscles made Kai's stomach flutter even more.

"Like I have a choice." Soobin snorted. "Coach would kill me if I showed up to practice out of shape."

"Well, I don't think you're in any danger of that." Kai assured him.

"How was Wyoming?" Soobin then asked. "I'm impressed you lasted all summer in a tiny cabin without killing your sister." He was quiet for a second until his eyes widened in worry. "You didn't kill her, right?"

Kai giggled. "Believe me, there were some close calls." He sighed. "I had to take a lot of walks whenever I felt cabin fever setting in. And with no Wi-Fi and two bars of cell service on a good day…thank god for books."

"You're going to make me feel like a stereotypical dumb jock." Soobin playfully pushed Kai's shoulder. "I didn't crack a book open all summer."

"Soobin, you could never be a…" Soobin shifted on the bed, making Kai lose his train of thought as their hips and legs pressed against each other. Kai internally screamed at himself for not just being able to blurt out how in love with the alpha he was.

Thankfully, Soobin saved them from an awkward silence. "There were so many nights I tried to call you and couldn't get through."

Kai sighed again. "It killed me not talking to you or trying to talk and getting cut off every five seconds when my phone decided to drop the call."

"With you gone, it was like I was missing my own voice sometimes." Soobin's words made Kai's heart race even more. "Remember that summer where we kept finishing each other's sentences and your mom started calling me The Echo?" Kai giggled at the memory and nodded. "So much happened this summer. I feel like we could talk all week, and I'd only get to the greatest hits. And there's one thing I've been dying to tell you in particular." Kai perked up slightly at that, wondering what Soobin could possibly have to tell him. "But before anything else, I brought you a present."

"A present?" Kai asked as Soobin procured a small red box with a bow from his pocket.

Soobin nodded. "I found something from that day your parents let me come to the beach with you."

Kai quickly opened the box to find a brightly colored shell. He gently picked it up and ran his fingers over it as he was hit with a memory.

_"It's okay if you want to run in the waves." Kai's mom assured the pups. "Just remember-"_

_"Never turn my back on the ocean." Kai finished for her, having the advice memorized from the number of times he'd heard it._

_His mom ruffled his hair as she smiled at him. "Good puppy."_

_Soobin was bouncing with excitement next to them. "Can we see the tide pools first? I'm collecting cool shells."_

_Kai nodded eagerly. "I'll help you!"_

_"This way!" Soobin gestured for Kai to follow him as he ran off. "I think I see one already!" Waves crashed on the rocks as they reached the tide pools. "Be careful, NingNing, the tide's coming in."_

_"What, are you scared of some water?" Kai teased him._

_Soobin's eyes widened and he shook his head, becoming desperate to prove himself as an alpha as many pups that age did. "No! I wouldn't care if I were by myself, but with you here-"_

_Kai cut him off with a scream as a giant wave loomed over them. Soobin rushed over to him and pulled him into a hug, turning so that he would take the worst of the wave as it crashed over them. "You just saved my life, Binnie!" Kai stared up at the alpha in awe once the wave had retreated. "I owe you."_

_"You could never owe me." Soobin insisted, shaking water out of his hair. "You're my-check it out!" Soobin pulled Kai over to the closest tide pool where they could see something glimmering in the sand. He dipped his hand in and pulled out a vibrantly colored shell, holding it out for Kai to see._

_"It's the prettiest thing I've ever seen!" Kai gasped, reaching out to touch and accidentally brushing Soobin's hand._

_Kai quickly pulled back, a little embarrassed. Soobin seemed flustered too, as he stammered over his words before holding the shell out to him. "You should take it. It's all yours."_

_"No." Kai shook his head. "I can't. I don't even collect them! Besides, you found it."_

_"Only because you brought me here." Soobin then smiled. "We can share it. Weekends at my house, weekdays at yours."_

_"Deal!" Kai agreed with a giggle, then the two pups ran back down the beach to Kai's mother._

_"Oh, how beautiful." She gushed as she crouched before the two pups. "Do you mind if I listen?" She held the shell up to her ear with a smile. "It reminds me of something my grandfather asked me when I was little. How can a shell contain an ocean when an ocean contains so many shells?"_

_Kai giggled. "It just sounds like an ocean, Mommy."_

_His mother laughed. "When did you get so practical?"_

_"I always have been." Kai insisted, putting his hands on his hips._

_"What do you think the answer is?" Soobin asked her._

_Kai's mother smiled. "To me, it means everything in life is a contradiction. The shell is tiny, but also infinite." Something flickered in her eyes as she glanced down at the pups. "Just like you, huh? Tiny and infinite? And getting bigger every day." She sighed as she continued to smile down at them. "I can't wait to see what the future holds for the two of you."_

A single tear drop fell on the shell as Kai sniffled. "Are you okay?" Soobin asked quietly, rubbing his hand along Kai's back comfortingly.

"When I hold it…" Kai wiped away another tear as it slipped out. "It's like she's staring forward at me from the past."

"I'm sorry." Soobin whispered. "Maybe I shouldn't have brought it."

Kai shook his head and turned to wraps his arms around Soobin in a tight hug. "No, it's amazing. It's perfect. Thank you." He was forced to pull away from the alpha by the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Your dad!" Soobin whispered, jumping off the bed. Kai jumped up too as Soobin ran for the window, stumbling into the alpha and sending them both to the floor, Soobin on top of Kai. "Sorry." Soobin scrambled up, helping Kai onto his feet.

"Hurry, before he sees you!" Kai hissed, shoving Soobin to the open window. The alpha swiftly climbed out and onto the tree outside as Kai remembered what Soobin had said before giving him the shell. "Wait, what did you want to tell me?"

"Don't worry." Soobin waved off his question. "It's silly anyway."

Kai furrowed his eyebrows. "But-"

"Kai?" His father called from the hallway. "Are you still awake?"

"Shit." Kai cursed under his breath before faking a snore.

Unfortunately, his father didn't fall for it. "Congratulations, that was the worst fake snore ever. Get to bed."

As his father's footsteps faded down the hall, Kai turned back to the window and looked down at Soobin. "Just tell me!" He whisper yelled into the night air.

"Okay, I, uh…" Soobin nervously played with his fingers as he cleared his throat. "I kind of have a boyfriend." Kai felt his heart sink as Soobin smiled up at him. "I swear I will tell you all the gory details later!"

Kai was left staring out his bedroom window in shock and hurt, only being brought back to reality by his dad's voice again. "Kai? Everything okay in there?"

"Yeah, everything's fine!" He called back weekly. "I’m just…murdered."

"What?"

Kai sighed. "I said everything's fine!" He said louder, moving to his bed as he tried to hold back tears. "Boyfriend?" Kai whispered to himself as he hugged his penguin. "Who?"


	2. 2

Kai didn't sleep for even a second. The whole night was spent staring up at the ceiling that had gone blurry from his tears and wonder who could possibly have snatched Soobin up before he had the chance. Therefore, his father only had to call up the stairs to him once to get him to drag himself out of his bed. With a small groan, he trudged across the room to his closet to grab the outfit he'd bought a few days earlier specifically for the first day of school.

He slid on the dropped light pink sweater and distressed skinny jeans that were a bit tighter than his usual clothing combo before checking himself in the mirror. "Perfect," He whispered, smiling at his reflection before taking a deep centering breath. "I'm ready." He decided, sure that he could face Soobin and his new boyfriend without shedding too many tears, before heading downstairs for breakfast.

"Cute outfit." His little sister, Bahiyyih, nodded in approval from her spot at the table. "I didn't think you had it in you."

Their father turned around to greet him, but instead his jaw dropped at the sight of his oldest child. "You've got to be kidding me. Go upstairs and change now."

"But Dad-"

"No buts!"

"I bought this specifically for today!" Kai argued, pouting a bit. "Besides, didn't you tell me at the beginning of summer that I'm old enough to make my own choices?"

His father scoffed. "Clearly your judgment is a bit impaired this morning." Kai held back an eye roll. "We'll reintroduce the concept of freedom once you’ve proven you'll use it responsibly."

Kai glared at his father until the alpha served him a look of his own. "Yes sir." He said with a sigh, crossing his arms over his chest as he stormed back upstairs and changed into an oversized sweatshirt and a different pair of jeans.

"Much better." His father beamed once he returned, the omega grumbling as he poured himself a bowl of cereal. As Kai began to push his Cheerios around his bowl, his father's pager went off. "Emergency appendectomy!" The alpha exclaimed. "They need me ASAP. Kai, can you-"

"Don't worry." Kai assured him. "Bahiyyih and I already have rides. I figured something like this would-" His father was already running out the door before he could finish his sentence.

Bahiyyih snorted once he was gone. "Cool mom jeans. All ready for the library bake sale?"

Kai groaned, lowering his head. "No wonder I'm still single."

Bahiyyih gave him a sympathetic look before turning back to her own breakfast. "You know…if you were to, for some reason, change back into that outfit…I wouldn't narc on you or anything."

The older omega sat up. "Well…if Dad will never know…" He carefully set his spoon down before rushing back upstairs.

When he came back down in his original outfit, his sister let out a loud wolf whistle. "Hey, hot stuff. Trying to make Soobin forget about his new boyfriend?"

Kai's eyes widened. "How did you know about that?"

"Thin walls." Bahiyyih shrugged with a smirk as a car horn broke through the morning silence. "Sounds like Taehyun's here." She waved goodbye to Kai as he went to grab his backpack.

He opened the front door and was welcomed with the sound of BTS blasting at top volume from the car of his best friend since freshman year. "Hey, babe!" Taehyun greeted as Kai climbed into the front seat, soon checking his best friend out. "Are you trying to seduce me or something, because it is working."

Kai let out a laugh. "I was trying to impress everyone in general. Guess you got caught in the collateral damage."

"No kidding." Taehyun chuckled as he pulled out into the street. "I'm a distracted driver with you sitting there looking like that!"

"You don't look too shabby yourself." Kai complimented. "Are those new boots?"

Taehyun waved his hand through the air. "I got these old things in June. Clearly we've got a lot to catch up on." Kai nodded in agreement. "Firstly, don't worry, your spot on the cheer squad is rock solid, no matter what Nicky says."

Kai smiled brightly. "So, I'm still co-captain?"

"It was never in doubt." Taehyun assured him. "As for everything else, what do you want to know?"

"I don't know…" Kai bit his lip as the fact that Soobin had a new boyfriend returned to the forefront of his mind. "How about who everyone is dating?"

Taehyun hummed. "Let's see…Nicky dated Jo, Aaren, then Jo again…"

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Are they still together?"

"I actually think she might give Aaren another try." Taehyun shrugged. "Or go back to the single life. Ooh, do you want a list of people who lost their V cards this summer?" Kai opened his mouth to respond, but Taehyun cut him off. "Never mind, I'll text you it later. I'm assuming that didn't happen for you in the middle of Wyoming." Again, Taehyun didn't give Kai a chance to respond. "Don't answer that, I can tell with my best friend ESP."

Kai chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "I'm saving myself for someone here in town…" His smile fell, a frown taking its place. "If he's ever single again…"

Taehyun quickly glanced at him. "That sounds like some hot gossip. I'm assuming I'll get the full rundown later."

"What else did I miss?" Kai avoided the subject, forcing a smile on his face once more.

"Well…" Taehyun smiled sheepishly. "I may have a minor piece of personal news…" Kai stared at him expectantly as they pulled into the school parking lot, heart already racing as if it knew what Taehyun was about to say before Kai's brain did.

Taehyun didn't even get to tell him with words as the second he climbed out of the car, Soobin was there to greet him. "Hey, beautiful."

Kai's heart dropped as he watched Taehyun wrap his arms around the alpha's waist, his hands sliding up under his jacket. "Don't you have a kiss for me?"

He desperately wanted to look away, but found himself frozen as the couple's lips met, the kiss lasting far too long in Kai's opinion. "Wait…your new boyfriend…" His struggle to finish his thoughts was met with a pair of smiles that seemed to cement his broken heart.


	3. 3

Kai swallowed thickly as he continued to stare at his two closest friends in shock. "Soobin is…you and Soobin are…"

"Madly in love with each other." Taehyun finished for Kai, seemingly unaware of the omega's inner turmoil as he smiled up at the alpha. "Or at least lust." He amended, making Soobin snort. "We haven't said that other 'L' word."

Soobin cleared his throat, looking at Kai with an apologetic expression. "I meant to tell you last night, Kai."

"There is such a thing as texting." Kai said a bit more harshly than he intended to, his feelings inadvertently seeping into his tone.

"I thought it would be better to tell you in person." Soobin explained.

Taehyung spoke up again, holding Soobin's arm around his shoulders in a way that had Kai's stomach churning. "I know I normally run my boyfriend choices by you first, but it's _Soobin_." Taehyung giggled. "He already has your seal of approval."

"Yeah…I…" Kai cleared his throat, blinking rapidly to fight off the tears stinging at the back of his eyes. "I'm speechless. Congrats…"

Soobin smiled before suddenly turning to his boyfriend. "I almost forgot! I got you something." Kai had to force the smile to stay on his face as Soobin happily handed Taehyun a thermos.

"A caramel macchiato?" Taehyun asked in surprise, smiling up at the alpha. "

"With two shakes of cinnamon." Soobin nodded. "Just how you like it."

Taehyun made a small noise of happiness before pressing a light kiss to Soobin's lips, causing Kai to have to look away. "Best boyfriend ever!"

Kai bit his lip, willing his tears away once more. "You guys are just so…perfect together."

"I knew you'd be happy for us!" Taehyun exclaimed, wrapping his arms around Soobin's waist again. "See? I told you!"

"You were right, as usual." Soobin chuckled.

"Well…" Kai clapped his hands together awkwardly, already taking a few steps away from the couple. "I should leave you alone for some…couple time. Catch you later!" He ran off before they could respond, but his plan failed as Soobin ran after him, eventually catching up.

"There were so many times this summer when I tried to call you," Soobin insisted, "to tell you." He gently grabbed Kai's arm to stop him, making the omega turn towards him. "Are you okay with this?"

Kai swallowed down his feelings and forced a smile on his face once more. "Of course, I am. I'm happy for you."

"You mean that?" Soobin double checked, earning a nod from Kai. "Your happiness means a lot to me. If I thought that this thing with me and Taehyun was going to happen-"

"I'm stoked for you guys." Kai interrupted him, swallowing down the lump forming in his throat. "Really. I should've suggested you get together years ago." He began to slowly back away from the alpha. "I just have to take care of something right now. We'll talk more later." He promised before turning around.

"I'll hold you to that!" Soobin called after him.

Once he was sure he was in the clear, Kai started to let the tears fall, his vision blurring as he power walked towards the school building. He hurried around the corner of the gym into the back parking lot that the slackers and troublemakers usually hung out in. Kai normally avoided that area, but at that moment he didn't really care where he went as long as he was away from Taehyun and Soobin.

"Hey there, princess!" Someone called out to him, making him jump slightly. "What brings you down to my place of business?"

"Your what?" Kai sniffled.

"My store." The alpha stated. "My shop. My livelihood. What are you buying?"

Kai furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't know what you mean. I was just trying to get away from some people and-"

The alpha cut him off with a groan. "Spare me the sob story. It won't get you a discount." He looked the omega over as if studying him. "Adderall." He finally said. "Gotta be Adderall. Everyone needs a study buddy." He pulled a plastic bag of pills out of his pocket.

Kai stumbled away from him. "Y-you need to find a different customer." He said. "I…appreciate the offer, but I’m not interested."

The alpha narrowed his eyes at him. "At this point the offer isn't optional anymore. You saw what I’m selling, you're part of this now." Kai's eyes widened. "No open up that designer backpack and find me $200." Kai started backing away as the alpha stalked closer to him. "I don't like having to hurt people. I really don't."

Kai opened his mouth to plead with him, but someone beat him to it. "Leave him alone." He turned to see an alpha with full lips and thick brown hair leaning against the wall a few feet away from them.

"Yeonjun?" The alpha's eyes widened as he backed away. "I-I didn't know you were back in town." He laughed nervously as Yeonjun pushed himself off the wall. "I-I'm just trying to run a business here."

Yeonjun wordlessly stalked up to the alpha and snatched the bag of pills from him, tossing them all the way up to the roof of the building. "Fetch."

"Dick!" The alpha immediately regretted that as Yeonjun glared and growled at him, choosing to run off and 'fetch' the bag.

"Wow…okay." Kai blinked as he turned to Yeonjun. "That was kind of stupid. What if he stabbed you or something?"

Yeonjun shrugged. "Maybe."

Kai blinked again. "And that doesn’t bother you?"

"I've been hurt worse for stupider reasons." He nodded towards the front of the school. "You should get out of here. I can't spend all day playing guardian angel."

"Oh…yeah…right." Kai shook his head slightly. "But wait, you're new, right? I can repay the favor and show you around."

Yeonjun scoffed at the offer, tilting his head as he slid his hands in his pockets. "How do you know I’m new?"

Kai giggled. "I happen to know pretty much everyone here."

"Don't be so sure."

Yeonjun's response had Kai's smile faltering slightly, but he held strong. "So, you've been invisible for the last few years?"

"I've been…away." Yeonjun answered vaguely.

"Like on a trip?" Kai tilted his head. Yeonjun scoffed and shook his head. "You don't seem to like answering questions."

"I'm told that it's one of my best character traits." Yeonjun smiled sarcastically.

Kai frowned. "I'm not sure who told you that. It's sad…and keeps people away."

"The whole point." Yeonjun shrugged. "Sometimes it's better that way."

"But not always." Kai retorted.

Yeonjun tilted his head, looking the omega over curiously for a few seconds. "Okay…" he eventually spoke up, "hypothetically speaking, let's say I take you up on this. What would you do? Draw me a map?"

Kai shook his head. "I could give you a school tour. The campus has changed a lot in the last couple of years, and I know all the best new spots. Plus, there's snacks."

The alpha let out a small chuckle. "I did skip breakfast today…"

"I knew I saw that hungry look in your eyes." Yeonjun stared blankly at him until Kai gestured for him to follow him. "Come along. You won't regret it."

"Promise?"

Kai nodded. "Welcome to the BigHit High tour extraordinaire!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms out. "The following presentation will be extremely official, so please hold your questions until the end."

"Impulse control has never been my strong suit." Yeonjun warned him as they began to round the gym.

"Right this way." Kai led him over to the courtyard. "Ah, here's our first landmark: the best vending machines on campus."

Yeonjun snorted. "What, do they have hot Cheetos?"

"Among other delicacies." Kai confirmed. "These machines are also less likely than others to steal your quarters."

"Not bad intel, Cheer Squad." Yeonjun hummed in approval.

Kai turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "How'd you know I'm a cheerleader?"

Yeonjun sucked air through his teeth. "Let's just say you've got that look…" He then pointed to the omega's backpack. "And there's half a pompom sticking out."

The omega glanced briefly at his backpack before turning back to the alpha. "You should be careful. Two can play that game." He pretended to scan the alpha. "For example, I can tell that you're an athlete."

"What sport?" Yeonjun crossed his arms.

"Totally gotta be ping pong or golf." Kai answered with a straight face before bursting into giggles. "No, probably more like football or boxing."

Yeonjun hummed. "Now I'm impressed. I'm guilty on both counts."

Kai then continued to lead him around the school grounds, the alpha surprisingly seeming to be genuinely interested in the various areas Kai showed him. "You liking the tour so far?" Kai asked him after a while.

"I'd say it keeps getting better and better." Yeonjun answered honestly with a small smile. "What's next? I was promised some true VIP treatment.

"Let's see…" Kai hummed as he looked around. "Oh, to your left you've got the only bathroom on campus with functioning stall locks. And past those bushes is a patch of sunny grass known as the 'Nap Knoll'." He glanced back at Yeonjun with a faux stern look. "Shouldn't you be taking notes?"

Yeonjun snorted. "Trust me, I'm committing this all to memory."

"I hope that's true." Kai responded. "I'm planning a test at the end of the tour."

"Prepare to be disappointed." Yeonjun warned him. "I'm not much of a student."

"In any case, try to pay attention." Kai shot him a smile. "I saved the best for last." He led the alpha into the school greenhouse. "Behold the Garden of Truth! A gift to the school from some very generous alumni." Yeonjun looked around in awe. "According to school legend, any question asked in the vicinity of this fountain must be answered honestly."

"You're definitely making this up." Yeonjun said with a laugh as he turned back to Kai.

Kai promptly shook his head. "Fair warning, the rules only apply to one question per day. How do you wanna use yours?"

"You first." Yeonjun countered.

"Alright." Kai crossed his arms over his chest. "Where'd you go to school last year?"

Yeonjun shrugged. "Nowhere."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "You took the whole year off?"

"Something like that." Yeonjun said vaguely.

"Not fair!" Kai whined. "You gotta tell me what you were doing!"

"Ah, but that would be a second question, wouldn't it?" Yeonjun smirked, a playful twinkle in his eyes. "And the rules say you only get one."

Kai sighed. "Fair enough. I guess it's your turn then."

Yeonjun tilted his head, carefully studying the omega. "When you showed up at the back parking lot, you looked upset. Why?"

The omega's eyes widened. "I-I wasn't-"

"We're in the Garden of Truth." Yeonjun reminded him with a soft smile. "Be honest."

"I…" Kai sighed. "I just found out the alpha I like is dating my best friend." His eyes widened again. "I can't believe I just told you that! Nobody knows!" He took a few steps towards Yeonjun. "You can't tell anyone!"

Yeonjun snorted. "I doubt we run in the same social circles." Kai gave him a worried look. "Don't worry," Yeonjun amended, "I'm good at keeping secrets." He leaned against a table near them. "This alpha…does he know how you feel?"

Kai shook his head. "Why?"

"It's just hard to imagine someone turning you down."

The omega felt his cheeks heat up as the alpha smiled at him. "Oh, that's, uh…" He trailed off, averting his gaze. "We should head back out now." He quickly left the greenhouse, Yeonjun behind him.

They returned to the courtyard where a few cheerleaders waved Kai over. "Looks like that's the end of the tour." Yeonjun said. "Bye for now, Cheer Squad."

Kai gave a small wave to the alpha as he walked off, feeling confused, intrigued, and light all at once. He rushed over to his fellow cheerleaders, realizing belatedly that Taehyun was with them. "I can't believe you were talking to Yeonjun Choi!"

"Don't you know who he is?" Nicky asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kai blinked. "What, is he famous or something?"

"Oh honey," Mason shook his head and guided Kai over to the table. "You'd better sit down. You need to hear the _truth_ about him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think is the truth about Yeonjun?


	4. 4

"There's a lot about Yeonjun Choi that you don't know." Taehyun stated as Kai was forced to sit at the table with them.

"Like what?" Kai asked with furrowed eyebrows.

Taehyun hesitated to answer. "What's the best way to put this?" He asked the other cheerleaders for help.

"Trash." Nicky said simply with a shrug.

Taehyun shot him a look. "I was going to say 'complicated'." He turned back to his best friend. "He's been in juvie since freshman year. Ever since…well, no one really knows what happened."

Mason leaned over the table. "But they say he was robbing Soobin's house." He stage whispered.

"What?" Kai asked, looking around the group. "That's completely ridiculous. He's nothing like a hardened criminal."

"Oh, sweet Kai." Nicky shook his head condescendingly. "If only we could all be as blissfully naïve as you." Kai narrowed his eyes slightly at him. "But from what I've heard, that's just the tip of the iceberg."

Mason nodded in agreement. "I also heard he got shot."

Fran spoke up next. "I heard he got sent to solitary for ripping this alpha's nose ring out of her face and then won a fight against four guards with a toilet seat." Everyone turned to stare at her. "And then he, like, stole this piece of metal from the machine shop and used it to carve an escape tunnel hidden behind a poster…" She trailed off as she realized everyone was staring. "But it's possible that's just a rumor!"

Kai blinked. "I haven't heard any of this stuff."

"Are you alright, Kai?" Taehyun asked, obviously worried. "Was he threatening you?"

"No!" Kai shook his head rapidly. "I mean, he's definitely rough around the edges, but he's actually really, really sweet."

"My cousin once thought the tigers at the zoo looked sweet." Fran pointed out. "Then she jumped down into the enclosure." She sighed. "I miss her."

Kai's eyes widened. "You mean she-"

"Moved to Boston." Fran perked up again. "Also, she got banned from the zoo. But I’m pretty sure those things are unrelated."

"Fran!" Nicky glared at the female omega. "What did I tell you about speaking?" Fran looked down at her lap, trying to make herself seem smaller as Nicky turned to Kai with a smirk. "Isn't it a little weird that you don't know _anything_ about Yeonjun? I mean, is your brain more dysfunctional than I thought?"

Kai blinked as he thought back to freshman year.

_"Kai," Taehyun ran up to his best friend, "you're not gonna believe what they're saying about that new alpha on the football team!" He fell quiet as he realized Kai seemingly wasn't paying attention. "Earth to Kai?" He waved his hands in front of the omega's face, but Kai didn't even blink, still staring down at his phone. "What's wrong?" He then asked in concern._

_Kai barely registered his best friend at all, too busy scrolling through the texts from his father._

**Kai, I need you to call me right away.  
Your mother's surgery didn't go as  
planned.  
 _11:16 am_**

**She had an unexpected reaction to the  
anesthesia.  
 _11:16 am_**

**Please call as soon as possible.  
 _11:17 am_**

**I'm so sorry.  
 _11:18 am_**

_"I-I think I have to call my dad." Kai said quietly, finally looking up at Taehyun._

"Maybe the rumors are true." Nicky snorted. "You were basically a zombie for most of freshman year, right?"

Kai shot him a hurt look. "That was when my mom died."

Nicky's eyes widened before narrowing once more. "Well how was I supposed to know that?!"

Taehyun glared at Nicky. "Want some free advice? Think first. Then talk. Might work out better than the other way around."

"I gotta get to class." Nicky said, stiffly standing up from the table. "See you guys at practice."

As the cheerleader rushed off, Taehyun threw his arm around Kai in a hug. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Kai nodded, resting his head on his best friend's shoulder. "Thanks for having my back. What's his problem, anyway?"

"Since you were gone all summer, we hung out a lot." Taehyun informed him. "He's actually a super talented cheerleader, but he definitely has a lot of personal growth to do."

Fran nodded. "He wants to be, like, co-captain of the team. And Taehyun's best friend."

Kai smiled. "Well now I'm back, and both those jobs are taken."

"Exactly." Taehyun giggled.

After school, the cheer squad gathered by the track around the football field. "I have to say, I love an alpha in uniform." Taehyun purred as he smiled up at Soobin, who was preparing for football practice.

"In that case, I really hope I make it into the Air Force Academy." Soobin chuckled, wrapping his arms around the omega's waist.

Kai tried to look away, he really did, but something prevented him from doing so as the couple shared a long, lingering kiss. Well, at least Soobin was happy…"Hey." Kai looked up in surprise at Yeonjun approaching them.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Soobin glared at the other alpha.

Yeonjun shrugged. "Team still needs a QB, right?"

"Actually, that spot's taken."

"Until someone better comes along." Yeonjun said, the statement obviously meant to be a threat.

Nicky giggled, sauntering over to the alpha. "I wouldn't mind watching you out there." He shot Kai a smug smile over Yeonjun's shoulder, as if wanting to see the other omega's reaction.

Taehyun also noticed the small interaction, because once the alphas left for their practice, he approached Kai and whispered, "Why didn't you tell me you _like_ Yeonjun?!"

"What?!" Kai nearly choked on his own spit. "He's not even my type!"

"You know it's a felony to lie to your best friend, right?" Taehyun raised an eyebrow, placing his hands on his hips.

"I'm serious!" Kai insisted. "I like someone else!"

Taehyun let out a small laugh. "Are you saying it's impossible to have two crushes at once?"

Kai bit his lip. "I mean, I guess not, but…"

"Admit it." Taehyun smiled. "You're at least a little curious about him. And I just so happen to know the perfect way to get his attention." He smirked. "Remember the Down and Dirty routine from sophomore year?"

Kai giggled. "We almost got expelled for that. Principal Choi called it NC-17.

"Exactly." Taehyun wiggled his eyebrows. "You in?"

Kai bit his lip, considering the offer not to get Yeonjun's attention, but Soobin's. "Let's do it." He eventually said with a smile, making Taehyun squeal in excitement.

"Okay, team!" Taehyun called the other omegas over. "Get over here! Mason, cue up Filter by Jimin!"

"On it!" Mason called back as she rushed over to the sound system. "We're doing the Down and Dirty routine?"

Nicky gasped. "You know it's banned, right?"

Taehyun smirked. "Sit and watch if you're too scared to join in."

"I just wanted to make sure that you're still comfortable with some of the moves…" Nicky crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, "now that you have an alpha and all."

"I'm sure he'll like the show." Taehyun stated with a shrug. "And if he gets a little jealous, then maybe that's a bonus."

Mason pressed play on the song and rushed back over to get into formation as the Latin style music began blaring across the stadium. Within seconds of the familiar opening riff and beginning dance steps, the entire football team had brought their practice to a halt in order to turn and watch the omegas. "They wouldn't…" Soobin mumbled under his breath.

Yeonjun looked around in confusion, having been the only one to continue the play until he noticed no one else had. "Why did everyone stop running?"

Logan, another football player, chuckled and clapped Yeonjun on the shoulder. "Just watch and learn."

"Let's have some fun!" Taehyun called out as it was time for the more sensual moves to come into play.

As Kai moved to the music, he realized just how much tension he'd been carrying inside himself all day, finally feeling himself let go and returning to his normal self. He brought his leg up in a high kick, his foot reaching higher than his head.

"Wow…" Yeonjun breathed out at the sight. "He's…"

"Flexible." Logan nodded, just as entranced by Kai as he nudged Yeonjun. "If you know what I mean."

Yeonjun shot him a glare. "I think you mean impressive."

Soobin narrowed his eyes at Yeonjun, a quiet growl sounding from his chest. "Trust me, Kai doesn't need you watching out for him."

As the song came slowed down for a big crescendo the entire team fell into a sexy pose, Kai bending forward slightly just enough for the skirt of his uniform to come dangerously close to the curve of his rear. "Yo, when did Kai get so hot?!" Logan exclaimed. "Is he single?"

Soobin shoved the alpha. "I doubt he's interested, Logan."

"And how would you know?" Yeonjun raised an eyebrow.

"I just do." Soobin said, glaring harder at him.

"Now for the spanking!" Taehyun exclaimed after the bought of skirt lifting and hip twirling the routine provided.

Kai turned, ready for the next part until he realized it was Nicky right in front of him. Unable to help himself, he brought his hand down on the other omega's ass as hard as he could, making him yelp in pain and subtly rub the area. They continued through the routine until they reached the flirtiest part: where they had to pick a specific person in the audience and blow them a kiss. Kai turned to the football players and was ready to send Soobin a kiss, but instead he found his eyes locking with Yeonjun. Focusing on the routine instead of questioning himself, Kai sent the alpha flirty kiss, earning a smile and unreadable gaze in return.

As the song finally came to an end, the cheerleaders collapsed to the ground, panting hard from their efforts. "How do you feel now?" Taehyun nudged Kai.

"Alive." Kai laughed breathlessly.

"Alive is good." Taehyun nodded with a smile.

"Even I have to admit that kicked ass." Nicky stated. "But I'm tired. Can we go home now?"

Taehyun's expression hardened. "Not even close. Practice is just getting started."

They spent the next hour running through their standard routine for the cheer exhibition. During a quick water break, Kai's phone beeped in his bag.

**SIBLING EMERGENCY!  
 _4:35 pm_**

**I need your help** 😰  
 ** _4:35 pm_**


	5. 5

Kai paced in front of the school, mind being overwrought with anxiety as he waited for Bahiyyih to come out. When he finally spotted her, he all but sprinted to her. "Are you okay? What's going on?"

"Thank god you're here!" Bahiyyih exclaimed, sighing in relief afterward. "I'm desperate."

"I know, I got your text!" Kai let out another anxious breath. "What happened?"

Bahiyyih let out a groan. "I got caught skipping English and I'm supposed to make up for it by taking photos of the football team for the school paper, but then I met these super cool people in my art class, and they invited me to this kind of exclusive…uh…event."

Kai blinked at his sister before groaning. "You said this was an emergency!"

"This _is_ an emergency!" Bahiyyih insisted. "When have I ever actually had the opportunity to make cool friends?" She smiled up at him, batting her eyes slightly. "And I just thought since you actually like photography, maybe you could do the football shoot for me?"

The male omega glared at his sister. "I was legitimately worried about you! What happens when you're in an actual emergency, and I don't come running because I assume it's something silly like this right here?"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." Bahiyyih crossed her arms. "I was not asking for a guilt trip." She sighed. "I know it's asking a lot to pass this off on you, but I really do wanna get to know these people. I got so out of the loop this summer; I'm just trying to find my friend group." Kai bit his lip, understanding his sister's pain. "I'll even give you Sibling Bucks."

That definitely got Kai's attention as he crossed his arms. "50."

Bahiyyih's jaw dropped at the amount. "That's extortion!"

The male omega shrugged. "Take it or leave it."

Defeated, Bahiyyih agreed. "I'll take what I can get." She shot her brother a smile and handed him the camera.

"I'll do the shoot." Kai assured her. "But you seriously owe me."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Bahiyyih squealed. "I swear I'll make it up to you."

'Even if I spend my Sibling Bucks on having you take over cleaning the bathroom?" Kai cocked an eyebrow.

Bahiyyih sighed. "I'm torn between hating that and respecting your negotiation skills." Kai simply smirked in response. "Yeah, we got a deal." She pulled her brother into a quick hug before skipping off.

As Kai walked back to the field where football practice was still going on, his gaze was immediately drawn to Soobin. Taehyun was right, he really did look good in his uniform. Kai had to force himself out of those thoughts as Soobin's eyes met his, a smile spreading across the alpha's face as he jogged past him Kai returned the smile, but glanced past the alpha, eyes now landing on Yeonjun, who was watching him with a stoic expression. Kai forced himself to look away and pulled out the camera, quickly snapping a picture of Soobin just as he cocked his arm back to throw the ball.

"Keep it up, Soobin!" The coach clapped. "Soon you'll be an even stronger quarterback than your father was."

Kai looked down at the camera to check the picture of Soobin, smiling at how perfect the alpha looked. When he glanced back up, his gaze went to Yeonjun again, but this time his jaw was clenched.

"Next play, I want Yeonjun on defense." The coach instructed.

Yeonjun raised an eyebrow at the older alpha. "I'm here to play quarterback."

The coach glared at him. "You're lucky I even kept you on the team after the things I heard about you. You play what I tell you to play."

The teenage alpha grumbled something under his breath as he got into position with the rest of the team. Kai opted to stay and watch, possibly get a few more photos for Bahiyyih, eyebrows furrowing as he saw the way Yeonjun was glaring across the line of scrimmage at Soobin. Soobin also seemed to notice the look and was prepared, pivoting left the second the coach blew the whistle and running the ball forward. Rather than giving up on the play, Yeonjun sprinted after him, tackling him hard just before Soobin could reach the endzone.

The coach blew the whistle again as they both crashed to the ground. "Soobin, you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Soobin glared at Yeonjun as he stood up, brushing himself off. "He barely touched me."

"Bullshit!" The coach exclaimed. "Yeonjun, hit my star quarterback again and you're off the team!"

"Whatever you say." Yeonjun grumbled.

Kai furrowed his eyebrows at the exchange. It had seemed like a standard tackle to him. "Good riddance." He heard Logan say not so quietly. "Dude belongs in jail, not on a football field." That made anger rise up in Kai. Why weren't any of the guys on the team even giving Yeonjun a chance?

Yeonjun had obviously also heard Logan's statements as he stalked off the field. "Yeonjun!" Kai called after him, running to catch up to him.

The alpha whirled around to face him, making Kai have to back up a couple of steps as he hadn't expected to end up that close to him. "First you take photos of the team, and now you're following me?!" Yeonjun exclaimed. "Are you stalking me or something?"

"I just wanted to see if you're okay." Kai said quietly.

Yeonjun scoffed and turned back around and kept walking, the omega staying right with him. "Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?"

"Because you have every right to be pissed off right now." Kai answered even though he knew it was most likely supposed to be a rhetorical question. "The coach was being extremely unfair. I mean, tackling is a huge part of football. And from what I saw, you didn't even hit Soobin that hard."

The alpha let out a quiet, humorless laugh. "Yeah, well it's simple. The coach is afraid of me. I'm sure you've heard the rumors."

Kai shrugged slightly. "I-I heard that you went to juvie and it sounds like it was serious, but I'm sure it's all been blown out of proportion…right?"

"Sometimes gossip is accurate." Yeonjun replied, whirling around to face Kai again, close enough that the omega could feel his breath hitting his face. "Might wanna keep your distance."

The omega swallowed thickly as the alpha's scent filled his nose. "I'm not afraid of you." He stated.

Yeonjun scoffed out another laugh, the corner of his lips rising in a smirk. "Maybe you should be."

A shiver ran down Kai's spine, but he tried not to let the alpha see how he was affecting him. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you _want_ people to keep their distance."

"Maybe I do." Kai held the alpha's gaze, hoping he didn't look as intimidated as he felt. A large part of him was screaming at him to turn around and walk away, but there was another part that was keeping him right where he was. "I don't care if people talk shit behind my back." Yeonjun eventually said after their staring contest. "It means I don't have to pretend to like them."

"So, you're saying that this is all an act." Kai determined.

"I'm saying that I don't care what people think about me." Yeonjun corrected him.

Kia tilted his head, putting his hands on his hips. "Well, I think you're just hiding behind some tough alpha act because you're scared." Yeonjun raised an eyebrow, lips quirking in amusement as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You've come back to school and you feel like you're completely out of the loop and no one will let you in." He regarded the alpha with sympathy. "I'm not saying I understand everything you've been through, but I do know what it's like to feel like you're on the outside looking in." A small smile appeared on the omega's face. "And when you stuck up for me with that alpha this morning…that wasn’t the kind of thing an alpha who doesn't care about anyone would do."

Although his expression was stiff, Yeonjun's eyes were soft as he regarded Kai. Eventually, that half smile returned. "You're not what I was expecting, Kai." He let out a small sigh. "I'm sorry. It was really nice of you to check on me."

Kai gave a small shrug. "You looked frustrated."

Yeonjun scoffed. "I think Coach doesn't want me to damage his star player."

The alpha's tone had turned mocking and bitter as he said that, and it had Kai tilting his head in curiosity. "Is there a story with you and Soobin?"

"What's to tell?" Yeonjun shrugged. "He's a golden alpha who has it all, and I'm not."

"That's really it?" Kai scoffed quietly, shaking his head. "I don't buy it."

"There's a little more to it than that." Yeonjun admitted with a sigh. "Something that happened freshman year, but it's a long story." He gave Kai another half-smile. "Maybe I'll tell it to you sometime."

Kai smiled softly at the alpha. "I'd like that."

Yeonjun tilted his head as if studying the omega. "I saw the way you looked at him on the field. You couldn't take your eyes off him."

"You seem awfully curious." Kai commented with an accusatory tone.

"You have a problem with that?" Yeonjun asked, his smile growing.

Kai let out a quiet laugh, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. "Who's stalking who now?"

Yeonjun glanced away, back towards the field. "Thanks again for, you know, checking in."

The omega waved off his thanks. "I'm just flattered that you broke the lone wolf act long enough to talk to me."

The alpha snorted, smirking at the omega again. "Don't change that attitude of yours, Kai. I like it." Not giving Kai the chance to respond, he turned and jogged back towards the field to return to practice.

Shaking his head slightly with a giggle, Kai slowly made his way back to take some more pictures of the team but veered off to the water cooler where Soobin was getting a drink. "I could have sworn I saw you taking photos." The alpha greeted him. "I didn't know you were such a superfan."

"Bahiyyih roped me into taking pictures of the team for the school paper." Kai groaned. "Long story."

"Sounds like a classic Bahiyyih scheme." Soobin chuckled. "In your professional opinion, how's the team looking?"

"You're killing it, as always."

Soobin grinned. "Spoken like a true cheerleader."

Kai shrugged. "I just tell it like I see it."

The coach's whistle shrilled through the air, summoning all of the players back onto the field. "Good luck with the photos." Soobin said, jogging backwards so he could still talk to Kai. "And if you need some Adonis-like football player to look camera ready, look no further." He flexed his biceps in an exaggerated pose, and if his arms didn't legitimately look gorgeous, Kai would have laughed.

Instead, the omega quickly snapped a picture. "Thanks! Give me his number if you see him." Kai teased him to, hopefully, hide the way his cheeks were starting to flush.

Soobin stuck his tongue out in response, turning around to return to the field. Kai resumed taking photos of the team in its entirety, catching Yeonjun's eye and seeing that he was back to his typical expressionless façade.

The team lined up for another play as Kai continued to take photos. As the coach blew the whistle, Yeonjun charged forward and crashed into Soobin, the taller alpha's face twisting in pain as he slammed to the ground. Without thinking, Kai dropped the camera and rushed onto the field to check on Kai while the other players were frozen in shock. "Yeonjun, what did you do?!" The coach yelled.

As Kai knelt on the ground next to Soobin, he couldn't help but wonder what was causing the animosity between the two alphas, and smaller part of him wondered if he had something to do with it.


	6. 6

Even though Kai couldn't remember the exact moment he fell in love with Soobin, but he did recall the moment he knew that they would care about each other forever. They had been 10 years old during the summer, exploring the woods near their neighborhood…

_"Upward and onward!" Soobin yelled. "We're still miles away from where the treasure is buried!"_

_"I don't care about the treasure anymore!" Kai complained, the omega tired of their playing by that point. "I'm hungry."_

_"Then let's go back to my house." The alpha immediately agreed with a smile. "I'll ask Dad if you can stay for dinner."_

_Kai pouted in response, crossing his arms over his chest. "It'll take us forever to walk back home! I'll starve to death!"_

_"I won't let you die." Soobin assured him. "I'm gonna bring you that." He then pointed to a juicy red apple hanging from the top of a tree next to him. Before Kai got the chance to response, the young alpha had already started scrambling up the trunk._

_"Be careful!" Kai called up. "I don't want you to fall!"_

_"I don't want you to go hungry." Soobin retorted as he climbed. "Besides, any good explorer should know how to climb a tree."_

_Kai bit his lip anxiously as he watched Soobin climb higher up the tree, switching from branch to branch with athletic ease. However, the further up he went, the thinner the branches grew. "Soobin, are you sure that's safe?!"_

_"It's no problem!" Soobin assured him. "I'm almost-" He cut himself off with a yelp as he lost his grip and tumbled back to the ground._

_The omega didn't waste any time rushing over to the alpha groaning on the ground. "Are you okay?! Please tell me you're okay!"_

_"I'll be fine." Soobin insisted. "I just got the wind knocked out of me."_

_Kai began to tear up. "This is all my fault!"_

_Soobin shook his head quickly. "No, it's not. Don't say that."_

_"But you got hurt because of me." Kai pointed out, his bottom lip quivering as he brushed some stray leaves out of Soobin's hair. The alpha simply smiled and held up the apple he had managed to grab just before he fell. "You really didn't have to." Kai said as he accepted the fruit._

_"It was worth it…"_

That memory was what came to the forefront of Kai's mind as he found himself, once again, kneeling next to Soobin as he lay groaning on the ground, only this time the alpha was clutching his shoulder in pain. "Should we get the nurse?" The omega asked.

Soobin shook his head. "I'll be fine…I just need a minute…"

Kai took the alpha's hand in his. "You don't have to put on a brave face for me."

"I'm not trying to act tough." Soobin insisted before sighing. "I just don’t' want to worry you."

"What kind of friend would I be if I wasn't worried about you?" Kai pointed out with a soft smile.

Soobin smiled back, his eyes closing for a bit as the pain on his face dissipated into a more relaxed expression. "Kai, I'm glad it's you." Kai furrowed his eyebrows, wondering what the alpha meant by that. "Promise me you won't go anywhere."

"I won't." Kai squeezed his hand. "Promise." The alpha shifted slightly on the ground before flinching, a visible shiver racking his body. The action caused Kai to worry about a possible concussion, giving him the urge to make sure Soobin stayed conscious and alert. "Is there anything else I can do to help?"

"Do you have fast working painkillers?" Soobin inquired. "Or chocolate?"

Kai giggled quietly as he shook his head. "Only the pleasure of my company, but it's better than nothing."

Soobin chuckled in return. "I think I can live with that." He let out a sigh and closed his eyes again, only for Kai to shake him slightly.

"Hey, don't go to sleep." The omega instructed. "Look at me."

The alpha did as asked, smiling brightly up at Kai. "There are worse things to look at." Kai couldn't help but smile widely at the comment. "I just hope this shoulder isn't too bad. I'd hate to be out of commission when football season is just kicking off."

"Don't stress yourself out more." Kai said softly. "Try to focus on something else."

"I kinda just want to listen to your voice." Soobin admitted. "Talk to me about something. Anything."

"Alright…how about the great pineapple on pizza debate?" Kai suggested. "First, the argument in favor. Sweet and savory have paired together well for ages. Look at charcuterie boards. Brie and fig jam? Yes!" Soobin chuckled as Kai continued. "But as a counterpoint…it's still plain gross in this context. Soggy pineapple on a hot pizza? Terrible mouthfeel."

Soobin hummed. "I can see you've given this some thought."

Kai nodded seriously. "Bahiyyih and I have this debate every time we get pizza. I've become well versed on the issue."

The alpha laughed brightly, Kai smiling as he noticed the last of the tension leaving his body. "Okay, I think I feel a little better."

As his eyelids began to droop again, Kai briefly glanced up and noticed Yeonjun watching them from a distance. The once again unreadable expression on his face had Kai frowning, but the omega had to push that to the back of his mind as Soobin needed him the most right then. "Remember that time when we were pups and you fell out of a tree trying to get me an apple?"

Soobin smiled in response, looking just like he had on that very day. "That's your idea of taking my mind off of things? Reminding me of a different time I got hurt?"

"You survived, didn't you?"

"Probably because you were there to take me home."

Kai smirked. "I'm starting to think that it's good for you to have me around."

Soobin grinned again. "I've thought that too." Kai's eyebrows furrowed in concern as he noticed the way the alpha's words were slightly slurring together. "That's why I tried to get you that apple in the first place. I wanted you to like me more."

And there they were. The butterflies coming at full force. Was it possible that Soobin had also been crushing on Kai at some point during their friendship? Wanting answers, but not wanting to be obvious about it for fear of risking revealing his own feelings, Kai smiled and stated, "I didn't know you cared so much about me liking you. Was impressing me that important to you?"

"In the brain of 10-year-old Soobin, yes." The alpha replied. "In the brain of present day Soobin…also yes." Kai's heart immediately began pounding in his chest, making it harder for him to maintain his composure. "I think about that incident a lot, actually."

'Really?" Kai tilted his head. "Why?"

"Honestly, every time I eat an apple, I can't help but remember."

"Does the shock of falling five feet come rushing back to you?"

Soobin shook his head. "What I think of is the look on your face when you rushed over to see if I was okay. I could tell how worried you were and how much you must have cared about me. I think that was the moment that I knew we'd always be there for each other."

His eyes fluttered shut once more, so Kai blurted out the first thing that popped into his head in order to keep him talking. "I do care about you. The thought of something bad happening to you is scary."

"That's exactly what I mean." Soobin mused. "I know nothing bad is going to happen to me as long as you're here. I hope you know I'd do anything for you too. We've got a bond. We always have. And I'm grateful every day I have you in my life."

Kai smiled softly. "I'm grateful too."

Soobin looked up at him with so much gratitude and appreciation that Kai could feel his cheeks starting to heat up. The alpha raised his uninjured arm to squeeze the omega's shoulder. "You're my best friend, Kai. Thanks for having my back."

His stomach dropped, reality crashing over him once more. "Yeah, of course." Kai swallowed thickly, forcing his smile to stay on his face. "It's what I'm here for."

At that moment, Kai became tuned into what was going on around them, hearing the coach screaming at Yeonjun. "What the hell was that?! Are you trying to kill Soobin?!"

"That was a tackle!" Yeonjun retorted. "And if Soobin can't handle it, then maybe you need a stronger player."

The coach got right up in the alpha's face and jabbed a finger into his chest. "Enough smart talk. I gave you a chance letting you on the team. Get your act together, or I'll change my mind." He turned towards the rest of the team as Yeonjun glared at him. "Why are you all standing around?! Someone get the nurse!" Yeonjun shook his head and jogged towards the bleachers, glancing at Kai on his way.

Once the nurse arrived, Kai moved to the sidelines to give her space to check the alpha over. Yeonjun was still sitting on the bleachers alone, so the omega opted to sit with him. "You okay?"

"Yeah…" Yeonjun sighed quietly, playing with his fingers. "I didn't mean to tackle him that hard."

"You need to be careful." Kai said softly. "You're already on thin ice with the coach. Don't give him the excuse to kick you out."

The alpha leaned back, ignoring his statement. "I saw you run right for Soobin when he went down."

"We've known each other since we were pups." Kai explained. "Looking out for him is second nature at this point."

Yeonjun hummed at that. "Wish I had something like that. Soobin's a lucky alpha."

Kai tilted his head. "I wouldn't have guessed you felt that way. With the whole lone wolf thing you've got going on." Yeonjun shrugged in response. "Well, I hope you find someone who looks out for you."

A distant look entered the alpha's gaze as he turned back to the field. "Looks like the nurse is done with Soobin."

Kai glanced over to see that he was right. "I need to see how he's doing." The omega stood up.

"Of course." Yeonjun nodded slightly. "Hope he's okay."

"Me too." Kai gave him a small smile before running back over to where Soobin was now on his feet, holding his shoulder gingerly. "Is everything okay?" Kai asked, the alpha's eyes lighting up at his presence.

"Just a little sprain. Should heal in a few days." Soobin assured him. "No concussion either, but I do appreciate you keeping me awake." He attempted to shrug his shoulders but grimaced in pain, stumbling a bit.

Kai quickly caught him around the waist. "Okay, Superman, but you need to take it easy until then."

Soobin groaned. "Remind me not to move for a bit." He closed his eyes and let out a breath as Kai became hyperaware of the fact that he could feel the alpha's muscles from their current position. "Thanks again for being here for me. I don't know what I'd do without you." He gazed into Kai's eyes, and the omega felt his breath leaving him at how close their faces were.

They stayed like that for a good while until Kai's gaze flitted over Soobin's shoulder where he could see Taehyun watching them with a shocked expression. Kai immediately took a step away from Soobin, but it was too late as his best friend turned around and stalked off the field.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave comments! I thrive on them!
> 
> Follow me on twitter @ot7mikrokosm <3


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